Secret Protector
by Spottedpath73
Summary: The training started when I was young. At first, I did it because I wanted to be able to become strong, to protect Sasuke. In truth, I never had a real idea of what I was in for.
1. Chapter 1: A Meeting with Power

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto characters, whose births are credited to Masashi Kishimoto. And I admit a majority of these "bending" ideas belong to the creates of AtLA.**

* * *

 **Several Years Ago**

When I was young, I would hide in the woods and cry. The darkness was comforting, and the trees seemed to bend to hide me from the bullies. Sometimes they got to me before I reached my safe sanctuary. Luckily they never followed me all the way, and I was always careful in the routes I took. Always varying, always changing, but I never lost my sense of direction. I was smarter than them, I did well to hide it because they already made fun of my wide forehead. I didn't need them being angry at my intelligence either.

On an especially bad day, when even Ino turned on me because I confessed my feelings about Sasuke- _kun_ , I stayed in the woods until nightfall. I lost track of time, crying myself out and sleeping for escape. The moon was very bright that night. I remember. Because I saw a figure shooting across the treetops. Fast, like an ninja, but no moonlight glinting from a village forehead protector. Surely the figure was an enemy, with ninja training and no evidence of village allegiance, he must have been there to kill someone. They had taught us the basics of recognizing enemies in class, because _kunoichi_ especially needed to defend themselves from unwarranted leery attacks.

Suddenly frightened and wishing to be home as soon as possible, I started running back to my home. But that day, I had wandered deep, deep into the woods. My pants and my tiny running feet were heard by the mysterious figure, who landed in front of me. Gasping, I fell back. The figure was silently approaching.

I did what I was taught in class; look for distinguishing details. As the person moved closer towards the light, I noticed the slightness of the person's build, the curve of the body, the lightness with which the person strode towards me. From the hilt designs, it looked like the stranger had two _katana_ and a _chokuto_ strapped to their back. It looked like a woman, with the beautiful long dark hair and a noticeable curve in the upper chest, but I couldn't quite tell because of the mask covering the lower half of her face. At the figure's next step, I saw something that definitely solidified my conclusion; a very, very pregnant belly. This woman had kids growing inside her, how could she move so lightly and silently within my village? Her enemy's territory?

I took another step back, my back hitting a tree. I was still too young for combat training, and I had no one to teach me any techniques or defense skills since both my parents are non-ninjas. Tears started gathering in my eyes, but I blinked them back rapidly. I refuse to die a crybaby, I refuse to let Ino and Sasuke hear about my terrified screams the next morning and see my self-soiled corpse when I die.

I was about to attempt escape again, when I saw something gripped in the woman's hand. A familiar white fan and red circular pattern. The crest that Sasuke- _kun_ always wore on his back. She must have done something with my beloved Sasuke- _kun_! I grabbed the heaviest branch I felt with my hand, and I ran charging at her, screaming a battle-cry. I must alert the village somehow.

But before I could take a third running step towards her, knocked the branch out of my hand with one of hers, and she covered my mouth with the other, the one holding the crest. She ran be back to the tree and lifted me to her eye-level, studying my face. _She has beautiful eyes,_ I remember thinking. Stony grey, some parts of her irises shining like starlight. Her skin was pale, soft, and beautiful. And her hands gripped me with more strength than I expected a pregnant woman to exert.

The tears flowed freely now, and it seems the woman noticed. Because she slowly lowered me to the ground, but she kept one hand on me. The other she let go. After silently making me agree to keep quiet, she let go of my completely and I coughed. The woman stood up to her full height and looked at me.

"What-did you do-with Sasuke- _kun_?" I coughed at her.

She didn't answer.

"I swear, if you hurt him..." I coughed again.

"Do you love him?" Her voice was startingly quiet, soft, almost musical.

I can still only cough, but she sees something in my eyes and her eyes soften a little.

"Would you give your life for him?"

"Yes," I answer immediately. I would do anything for him, probably even kill, if it meant his survival and happiness. "I don't care even if there are stronger people out there, I just want to be with Sasuke- _kun_ and make him happy." I can't believe I've just told this stranger more about my feelings for Sasuke- _kun_ than I've ever told anyone else.

"If you had power that no one else would ever have, would you use it for him?" She asks for a pause.

"Yes."

The woman studies me more. I stand up straight, confidently, like my _kaa-san_ always told me to. I will not wither again under this woman's gaze. The woman pushes down her mask, so I can see the rest of the face. She is beautiful, a small smile on her face.

Then, the woman does something I've never seen before. She makes circular motions with her hand, body twirling and turning, and wind literally forms under her pliant hands into a ball. She lets me gawk at it for a while, before letting it spin itself out. Then, she drops to ground and moving her hands like a snake, I watch in fascination as she literally draws a water globe from the dew on the grass under her palms. She smiles at my shock, and splits the ball of water into tiny droplets and manipulates them so they are dancing around me. I laugh, despite myself. Suddenly, all the water droplets collapse back to the ground, like rainfall. Looking back at the woman, I see her drop into a strong crouch, and she moves with more athleticism and flexiblity than I expected a pregnant woman to be capable of as fire spews from her bare hands. Leaping, twirling, bending. It was like watching a primitive dance. After a while, with both feet planted on the ground, she stayed in that position, almost unmoving as the earth rose to meet her hands.

This brief show fascinated me. This woman, this foreign, pregnant woman was doing all of this without using ninja seals! It was amazing.

"Would you like to learn?" She asked me with, the smile still on her face. She rose back to a standing position, and she made no movement towards me.

"Amazing!" I saw in wonder. "How did you do that?"

"Are you willing to train with me?" The woman asks again, a smile glimmering in her eyes, too.

To be strong, to be able to protect Sasuke- _kun_ , too? It was a dream come true. I could do it, I could finally become the strong _kunoichi_ I've been wishing to be. I wouldn't just be "civilian crybaby Sakura" with the large forehead, weak and unnoticed. I could be acknowledged by the others as a ninja, finally earn a position in the ninja world no matter how small it is.

I look straight into the woman's eyes. "When do we start?"

* * *

 **AN: I'm rewatching Naruto because I'm missing watching addicting anime, and this concept has been with me since before the manga ended. I need to know, should I continue? Because I still have a lot of scenarios running through my head with this story, but I'm not sure if this is a concept anyone'd enjoy besides me. If someone tells me they don't like it, I will immediately take this down.**

 **Also, I know that I'm a mess since I hardly update regularly anyway...please forgive me! But reviews help, because they help inspire me, help lead the characters into new places.**

 **On that note, Reviews please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Training Days

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto characters, whose births are credited to Masashi Kishimoto. And I admit a majority of these "bending" ideas belong to the creators of AtLA.**

* * *

 **Present Day**

I inch closer to Tazuna _-san_ and grip my _kunai_ tighter. I wish I could be fighting with the rest of my team, but to be able to stay with Sasuke _-kun_ , I have to be inconspicuous, unnoticeable, a chameleon. I could defeat that monster Zabuza in an instant, and his masked accomplice in even less time. But no, my master insisted I remain invisible and unassuming, claiming it would make it easier for me to get closer to Sasuke _-kun_.

I have to pretend to be weak in combat, easy to fool in some cases, but no matter how many times she commanded me to play dumb, I would not concede. I am already being forced to hide my battle prowess, making me the weakest of the newly graduated genin. I absolute refuse to hide my intelligence as well. It would be the only thing I could use to distinguish myself from the other girls in our class, besides my pink hair (and wide forehead). Sasuke _-kun_ didn't have to like me, but I could at least try to get him to acknowledge my smarts. Plus, if the instructors intend to put us in three-man cells that complement our abilities, it couldn't hurt for me to beat Sasuke _-kun_ on written know-how when he beats everyone else on practical exams.

Grudgingly, after weeks of persuasive assaults in our daily training sessions, my master allowed me to retain that original trait of mine. Slowly my self-confidence grew, and I no longer struggled with keeping up with the other girls in class. In fact, I found myself having to hold myself back considerably. Training with Master had significantly improved my physical abilities past the level of a normal six-year-old, and my master had to begin giving me supplementary lessons on deception so I could better hold my façade of being one of the weaker ones in class.

If my parents noticed an improvement in my physical condition, they didn't say anything. They probably assumed it was a result of me working harder at the Academy. And they didn't question why I was always gone before dawn and returning at midnight. I think they were happy that I'd finally begun to show some vitality in my work again.

In terms of actual training, immediately after agreeing to her terms, the mysterious woman who eventually became my master promised me she'd return to that very same location; it was far enough from the edge of the forest to prevent wanderers from finding us. I was to meet her there at twilight and be ready to train. When I arrived, she surprised me by cutting my wrist and binding her own cut wrist together. "Do you accept my blood, the blood of the Mamoru clan? Do you accept the responsibilities of a member of the Mamoru clan? To protect and preserve? Do you promise to uphold our clan ideals and use your power as commanded?" _What strange things to ask,_ I thought to myself.

"Yes, I accept your conditions." And with that, I was formally adopted into the Mamoru clan, the clan of my master, the mysterious woman.

"To train with me, to gain this power, you needed my blood. You needed to be formally adopted into my clan," she explains later.

"Why was this so ritualistic?"

"Clan traditions are old and unchanged. It was the only way."

"What shall I call you?" I asked.

"For now, you can call me Mamoru."

"Mamoru- _sama_." I'd just met this woman, and I wasn't comfortable with calling her without honorifics, and calling her _sensei_ seemed inappropriate after she adopted me into her clan and agreed to give me the power to protect Sasuke _-kun_.

She had me start defensive training by teaching me what she called "airbending." I believe her exact were something like, "By the way you reacted when I showed up in front of you, it's obvious you haven't had any combat training at all. And you must have been bullied a lot, too. Why else would a little girl be hiding in the woods with red-rimmed eyes and completely unable to fight? Combat training starts with defensive training. Let's get to it."

I spent the first six months learning basic airbending movements. I learned how to dodge every attack thrown at me, spinning and spinning around my opponent. When my master felt I had learned enough of the basic movements to a certain extent, she had me practice actual airbending. My first time was amazing! It was different from using chakra, which required molding spiritual energy and concentrating to release a physical form, while controlling the power and energy output so as not to waste my stamina. This bending...it was like discovering an unused muscle. And the more I stretched it, the more integrated into my spiritual physique it became. Soon, airbending became like second nature to me.

Even the girls from the Academy noticed. By adding a little knowledge from airbending training to my physical education class, I'd slowly been edging my way up to the middle of the pack, and the bullies became wary of my sudden progress. Not only was I beating them in intelligence, but I was also starting to improve physically as well. I was becoming immune to their insults, and no matter what they did to me or what they said, I never again rose to their bait. I was finally starting to do well for myself in the class.

A year after I began my airbending training, Mamoru _-sama_ began to teach me waterbending basics. On top of maintaining my airbending training, I had to begin the flowing circular movements of waterbending. The physical dynamic was the same as airbending, so picking up the elegant upper-body movements was simple enough. After three months, I was allowed to begin actual waterbending. This was a bit more difficult than airbending, because water is a more heavy substance than air. Also, because I was learning the basics, I had to stay rooted in place next to a stationary water source.

The only bright side to learning waterbending was beginning to understand how _chi_ flowed in the body. _Chi_ moved like water; never-ending, never stopping unless forced to by certain obstacles. Obstacles I learned were called _chi_ -points. This was part of my defensive training, too. Paralyzing the nerves stopped _chi_ -flow thereby stopping any physical or chakra attacks directed at me.

After waterbending came earthbending, a more rigid discipline than either airbending or waterbending. I was to keep myself rooted to the ground, waiting for attacks then countering them. Bending the earth itself was also a large jump from bending naturally flexible elements, but at least I wouldn't have to remain stationary like I would need to with airbending. My muscles became more toned as I trained to lift large boulders and break apart the earth with my bare hands. It was most complementary to my monstrous physical strength I had been gifted with at birth.

Firebending was the last element I had to learn. It was also more dangerous, a more explosive dance than the other elements. This time, I had to focus on my lower-body movements. Extensive leaps were a part of this art as well, and airbending complemented this bending appropriately. And similar to airbending, breathing was key in its mastery. A steady breath could make a huge difference between a simple sneeze and an accidental forest fire. When my master started having me bend actual fire, she had me practice near water so we wouldn't draw any unnecessary attention with my fire. In terms of elements, firebending was my favorite, seconded only by airbending.

Things had changed by the end of the four years of training. At the Academy we'd already begun basic jutsu and actual taijutsu. I could predict attacks based on the slightest disturbance in the air. My waterbending improved to the point I didn't need to stay standing in one place, and I could easily turn my defense into offense. I'd adapted my bending to combat, just like my master. My skills in earthbending developed enough that I could sense vibrations in the ground. My firebending was powerful and wild, but under control. I suspect that if I didn't need to keep my training secret, I could fly simply on firepower. Even with airbending, I was grounded because there was no high place in the village where I could learn how to fly in secret.

My master finally stopped training me after teaching me firebending. "You can learn the rest of the variations on your own. You're a smart girl, you'll figure it out," she said to me. Before she left, she left me a "graduation" gift: a small tattoo on my chest in the shape of a circle, with a plus sign in the center. Master said it was the clan symbol. She told me that by spreading my blood onto the mark, I could summon her to my location. Also, the mark acted as an inter-dimensional portal through which I could send objects to her or store objects in the dimension.

"How is it possible to open gateways to other dimensions?" I'd never heard of a technique that could do that.

Mamoru- _sama_ waved her hand nonchalantly. "It's a gift from my hus... _partner_ ," she said tersely.

"Husband?"

"I will tell you when you need to know," she said in a sharp voice.

I decided to change the subject. "What sort of objects can I send?"

"Anything you wish." I made a decision to send her snacks every once in a while, and maybe some decorative weapons as well. Small gifts to thank her for training me.

She also told me the mark would connect my mind to anyone else bearing the mark. So far, it was only her and her twins Hikaru and Kaoru (whom she'd given birth to right before I started my waterbending training). This meant that if needed, I could send mental messages to her (or the twins); reports on Sasuke _-kun_ 's well-being without leaving behind any physical evidence of what I was doing.

"Good luck with graduation at the Academy. Two more years, left, is it?"

"Yes, Mamoru- _sama_."

"Remember your training, Sakura. I don't want to hear any reports about your bland death or unexpected improvement in the field, understand?"

"Yes, Mamoru- _sama_."

But it is thanks to my promise to her that I cannot properly move in this situation! My façade has me look like the weakest of the bunch, only my chakra making me a ninja rather than a civilian. I'm trusted only to guard our client rather than participate in actual combat, like I've been trained to do.

Sasuke _-kun_ and Naruto are trapped in that masked boy's house of mirrors, how am I to protect him from here? I'll have to trust he's strong enough to hold off the enemy on his own and keep Naruto out of the way as well.

But, there was something she told me that could help...

 ***FLASHBACK***

 _"I should tell you, the twins may be seeing you more often than I will. Now that I'm done training you, I can focus on my main task. My children will be more than enough."_

 _I couldn't help but be skeptical. Weren't the twins younger than me by at least half a decade? I'd trained with them a couple times over the years, when Master deemed them old enough. I admit they're stronger than I ever was at that age, but were they really that powerful?_

 _"They are true-born of the Mamoru clan. They are a rare treasure that most countries' lords would kill to possess, but they are powerful and they can handle themselves, even at the young age of four." Mamoru-sama looked at me. "They are even more powerful than you, because they don't need to learn control or learn how to bend. They, like me, were born with that sense ingrained into their beings."_

 _"Yes, Mamoru-sama." My master truly understood what I'm thinking._

 _"However, because you have been adopted into the Mamoru clan, there is one thing you can do that they cannot."_

 _"What is it?"_

 _"You can collect kekkai genkai, those special techniques passed down genetically through families."_

Of course! Isn't that masked boy, Haku, the last carrier of a _kekkai genkai_? Looks like this mission won't be such a drag, after all. But, how do I acquire it?

 _"You take their blood without letting them take yours. The blood must be fresh, still warm with life."_ Oh, right. I have to somehow manage to get to Haku and drink his blood while it still flows through his veins. I might actually have something worthwhile to contribute in my next report to Mamoru- _sama_.

My hand is shaking in anticipation. "Sakura..." I hear Tazuna _-san_ 's old gravelly voice. "The mist is starting to settle."

In the distance, I see two shadowy figures facing each other, clearly adult. But where are Sasuke _-kun_ and Naruto? Before I can look around more, I hear the crackle of electricity and feel the spatter of blood on the bridge. The force of of the impact blowing back most of the surrounding mist. When I look again, I see Kakashi- _sensei_ 's hand stuck into someone's chest dripping blood.

"It's the masked boy," Tazuna- _san_ observes.

Zabuza lifts his mighty sword, clearly meaning to cut through the body and Kakashi- _sensei_ , who dodges his swipe, carrying the boy's body with him and laying him on the bridge on the sidelines.

But I don't focus on these details too much. The mist has cleared enough for me to see see Naruto. But...where's Sasuke _-kun_? Naruto shakes his head. No, it couldn't be. It's not possible. I couldn't have...failed?

I'm so tempted to run over, just to check, but I still have a duty to perform with Tazuna- _san_. "I'll go with you. That way you wouldn't be breaking your orders," he says softly. And hand-in-hand, we run towards Sasuke _-kun_.

I see him, on the ground, body covered in bloody scratches and pin-cushioned with needles. His body is cold. So, so cold. Was it from death, or from the weather? I can't tell. But he is stiff and unmoving. And that breaks me.

"You should cry at times like this," Tazuna- _san_ says. He is moved by Sasuke _-kun_ 's death, as well.

"A ninja must never show emotion," I recite the twenty-fifth clause of the ninja know-how from the Academy. "A ninja must put the mission first." I start crying and crying, trying to soften my sounds in case more enemies are coming. But I have to grieve; I've failed the mission, the missions that I was entrusted with for years. My cover has cost me my love.

Behind me I still hear the clanging of metal and the squelch of flesh on flesh as the fight between Kakashi _-sensei_ and Zabuza continues. But then I feel more footsteps. I don't react, because I know that with this many ninja, the newcomers are no match for any of us, weakened as we are. Lowlifes, all of them. All led by that bastard Gatoh, tapping his cane as he strolls toward the dangerous battle between the jounin.

He taps his cane and essentially terminates his contract with Zabuza and demeans all shinobi in his mistaken little speech. I feel Gatoh kick body Zabuza called "Haku", and even I am angry at the poor boy's treatment. But, it's thanks to his distraction that I can discretely waterbend some of the dislodged blood off the edge of the bridge and towards me. After all, no one is paying attention to the crying girl in the background or the trickles of blood from a corpse.

And as Zabuza chases Gatoh through the mercenaries at the end of the bridge, I swallow the little drops of blood I waterbent. It is red and salty, nothing special. But while I am assimilating new DNA, now is the perfect chance to assimilate Uchiha blood, as well. How can I know what to expect from Sasuke _-kun_ when I don't know how using the Sharingan will affect him? So right after I take Haku's blood, I take Sasuke _-kun_ 's blood, too.

 _"When you take the blood, the clan technique in the genes will assimilate into your DNA as well, now that you possess blood of the Mamoru clan. The assimilation of the new genetic material varies from person to person. Some feel pain, others feel pleasure, some even feel thirsty or feverish. I don't know what your reaction will be. But I am positive that when it happens, you'll know. Then, after complete integration, you will be able to use the techniques better than a true-born of the clan; you will be able to unlock the full power of the techniques."_ My master's words echo in my head.

Suddenly I feel a gut-wrenching pain. Fire, burning at my core. I cringe, and disguise the discomfort as part of my crying. No one must suspect. This is my reaction to assimilation? Pain? This will have to be worth it in the end. This nerve-scorching fire will certainly leave me vulnerable in the battlefield.

By the time the pain begins to disappear, I feel something stirring underneath my arms.

"Sakura...you're heavy," Sasuke _-kun_ 's voice makes my head shoot up. Is he...? He really is! He really is alive! Oh thank the gods, he's alive. I haven't failed after all.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks to Hyuuga Senpai for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying my story!**

 **The reason I asked for feedback on my story is because the last time I read something like this, I distinctly remember being extremely angry at the clumsy usage of bending from AtLA. This is just me, doing something similar, but trying to make it more...tolerable.**

 **I don't mean to offend anyone who's written something with the same idea in mind! I haven't read any stories using bending in a Naruto fanfiction in a while, so please don't take it personally. The story I'm referring to (that I absolutely hated) was one I read 5 to 7 years ago!**

 **But if any of my details/descriptions are aggravating you, please let me know. I know that there is definitely room for improvement, because I have absolutely no idea how I can convey the majestic feelings from watching benders in Avatar using simple words in Naruto.**

 **Next chapter, I should be able to start with my favorite portion of the original Naruto: the Chuunin Exams! Suggest some starting points or plot twists or something. I might need to incorporate some time jumps, just give me some places to highlight.**

 **Reviews needed!**


	3. Chapter 3: Chuunin Selection

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto characters, whose births are credited to Masashi Kishimoto. And I admit a majority of these "bending" ideas belong to the creators of AtLA.**

* * *

 **After Completing the Bridge**

The sky is dark when we get back to the village, and I am still a little weak from the _kekkai genkai_ assimilation, but I hide it well. I go back to my hidden training spot with my Master and update her on the recent events.

 _Master?_ I ask tentatively through the mind-bond. After a couple of minutes, I try again. Maybe she's busy with the twins. Finally, my master responds.

 _Sakura, always a delight._ I can hear the smile in her voice.

 _I have some interesting things to report._

 _Oh?_

 _First, Sasuke-kun has gained the Sharingan. In mid-battle with an enemy ninja._ I tell her proudly.

 _How many tomoe?_

I am confused. _Tomoe?_

 _The swirls on his eyes, that look like commas or apostrophes. How many does he have in one eye?_ Master asked again.

I think back carefully. _Two._

 _Hmmmm._ Master takes in this information calmly. I wait patiently for her next question.

 _Anything else?_

 _I've assimilated two kekkai genkai. I recognized the reaction, just as you said. Mine's was pain. Burning pain._

 _Very good trying out your assimilation, but what an unfortunate reaction. What kind of kekkai genkai have you gained?_

 _I took an ice-manipulation technique from the Country of Waves. The boy I took it from was the last carrier of the gene, and he'd died in battle with my team. He injured Sasuke-kun enough so that Sasuke-kun passed out. We all thought he was dead,_ I swallow a lump in my throat. It still scares me how close I came to losing him.

 _But he survived._ Master says.

 _But he survived._ I confirm. _And I took his kekkai genkai, too._

The voice on the other end didn't speak.

 _Mamoru-sama?_ I asked.

 _Why did you do it?_ My master asked me with steel in her tone. I'd never heard her sound this calm before. It was frightening, and I tread carefully.

 _It's not often that Sasuke-kun is injured to this extent._

 _That's not good enough._ More fire in her tone. Which is strange, since she never told me I _couldn't_ take Sasuke- _kun_ 's blood either. So I told her my other reason.

 _How can I know how to help Sasuke-kun if I don't know what he will be experiencing with the Sharingan that he recently awoke? When Kakashi-sensei used his Sharingan against Zabuza the first time, he collapsed right after._

 _Copy-Ninja Kakashi?_ Master's tone is surprised. _And that Demon of Kirigakure Zabuza?_

 _Yes, them._

 _I wasn't aware the Hokage let genin take on A-rank Bingo Book criminals._ Master says darkly.

 _The client was desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures._

 _Hn. Is that all?_

 _Yes, for now._

 _Was your cover broken at all? Does anyone suspect?_

 _No._

 _Good. Now go back and get some rest. You've had a long and dangerous mission. Remember your purpose. It would not do well for you to be exhausted the next time this happens._

 _Hai, Mamoru-sama._ I stretch my limbs and head back to my home.

* * *

Our next couple of missions were just absolutely tiring. Naruto and Sasuke- _kun_ have been acting strange since we got back from the Country of Waves. And Naruto's been going wild in our regular missions to "make his own ninja way," but he's honestly just been making for work for Sasuke- _kun_ and me to do. I mean honestly, what kind of an idiot mistakes a herb garden for weeds? Even Kakashi- _sensei_ must know that our teamwork has been off recently. He decided to escape and submit his report to the Hokage.

When I told Sasuke- _kun_ I wanted to spend some time with him to "strengthen our teamwork" (a guise to see his living conditions), that arrogant boy told me: "You're just like Naruto...Go practice some techniques. You're weaker than Naruto."

I couldn't help but be seriously offended by his comment, yet proud at the same time. My deception is going smoothly; he doesn't suspect my true strength. And the fact that he told me I was weaker than Naruto tells me he _is_ watching me, assessing my abilities. Even if his assessments are totally wrong, it warms me a little, knowing he _has_ been observing my ninja abilities.

But, with the Chuunin Exams coming up, it can't hurt to fit in some more practice hours with the new abilities I've gained. And that Gaara of the Sand, he's one to watch out for. The feeling coming off of him is similar to Naruto's, his general demeanor is less warm. It looks like he uses sand, so I'll have to brush up on my earthbending if I want to have an edge on him. If even his team is afraid of him, he surely must be a dangerous guy.

* * *

 **Turning In Chuunin Exam Applications**

There sure are some weird people here. I'm strictly talking about Rock Lee, the weirdo with the green jumpsuit, bowlheaded haircut, thick eyebrows, and very strange eyelashes. And on top of that, for him to profess his undying love for me...His strangeness is the one thing Sasuke- _kun_ , Naruto, and I can agree on. If he decides to trail me, it may jeopardize my mission. I wouldn't be able to train in peace, and worst of all, he might annoy me to the point where I might accidentally reveal critical information about Master.

His speed is troublesome as well. Probably the only way I could take him down is through airbending; the way he moves would make it hard for me to aim any other element at him. I could try to incapacitate him by aiming for his pressure points, but I'd have to match his speed first. Even using airbending I don't think I can catch up with him. The only other bending I could use against Lee would be bloodbending, using waterbending to manipulate the blood in a person's body, thereby controlling the person's movements. The problem is that bloodbending it is still too risky for me to use bloodbending during actual combat, since I haven't mastered it yet.

Ironically, the variety of other genin taking the exam look less powerful than the rookies from Konohagakure. Most of the other genin look like they are in their late twenties early thirties, practically two decades older than me. They've no doubt completed hundreds, and even thousands of missions, and here they are trying for chuunin. One could argue that they are weak if they've attempted the Chuunin Exams in the past but never passed, while others could say that the Chuunin Exams just happened to be super difficult.

* * *

 **AN: Haha, I write these chapters as I revisit the source material: Naruto anime. And since I don't really want to split the Forest of Death awkwardly (because it deserves actual chapters of its own), I'm just going to post another chapter today so I can start on a super dramatic Forest of Death section ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Snake Man

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto characters, whose births are credited to Masashi Kishimoto. And I admit a majority of these "bending" ideas belong to the creators of AtLA.**

* * *

 **Outside Gate 12**

The written exam weeded out a lot of the genin. Those who weren't caught cheating gave up at the tenth question. In the end, it still left the scary ones: Gaara of the Sand, that creepy Rock Lee, and the genin from Otogakure who the cracked Kabuto- _san_ 's glasses without touching him.

Truth to be told, I wasn't severely invested in the first exam, simply because my primary mission is to guard Sasuke- _kun_. But, the Chuunin Exams offer the chance for me to have a little fun while guarding him; I could secretly let loose a little. I wouldn't have to hold back as much as I normally do, because the examiners should expect the genin to improve their abilities in the exam, shouldn't they?

Well, with this next test, I'll be able to do something worthwhile. I don't know if I should believe our crazy examiner, though. Something about her feels suspicious, like one of those genin from Kusagakure, with the weird long tongue. That one rubs me the wrong way, and a woman's intuition is usually spot-on.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when the examiner unlocks the gate and steps away. Sasuke- _kun_ , Naruto, and I smile as we step in. Finally, something exciting is going to happen!

But then, Naruto, as always, ruins the moment. "I gotta pee!" he says suddenly, and proceeds to pull down his fly as he faces a tree.

"What are you trying to do in front of a lady?! Go behind a bush!" I yell at him. I don't want to see his...man parts.

When he comes out of the bushes, I notice something different about him. The Naruto that emerged is a mirror image of the real one. Sasuke- _kun_ notices it too, because he quickly punches the fake Naruto away and attacks him with _kunai_. It's a face-paced battle that I still have to hang back on, because the two other members of my team are still conscious.

"Don't just stand there, Sakura! He might have company! Move or you're seriously going to die!" Oh, Sasuke- _kun_ , it's always good to know you care.

When the enemy retreated, we retreated as well. With so many powerful enemies surrounding us, we can't just let ourselves be out in the open.

"If we get separated, don't trust each other if we appear. The enemy might use the transformation jutsu and turn into one of us," Sasuke- _kun_ says to us later.

"What should we do?" I ask.

"Let's decide on a password. If a different password is given, assume the other person is the enemy. Alright, I'm only going to say this once. The question is: 'What is the ninja song _Ninki_?' The answer is: 'It is a good chance that when a large number of enemies are making a scene, there are no hideouts even in a quiet place. It is important for a ninja to know the right time. The time when the enemy is tired, and his guard is down.' That's all."

"Okay," I say.

"Can you repeat that?" asks Naruto. Seriously?

"I said that I was only going to say it once," answers Sasuke- _kun_.

"Did you not remember it at all?" I ask.

"I remember it perfectly! I just wanted to hear it one more time to make sure!" says the ever-prideful _dobe_.

"All right, I'll keep the scroll," Sasuke- _kun_ says.

All of a sudden, we're assaulted by a powerful wind attack. Another enemy? So soon? I lose sight of my team, but finding Sasuke- _kun_ is easy, when I've been following him for so long. "Sasuke- _kun_!"

"Stay back! What's the password? The ninja song _Ninki_?" Yep, that's him all right.

I recite it perfectly back at him. Sasuke- _kun_ relaxes.

"Ouch, that hurt!" Naruto's grating voice gets louder as he walks towards us.

"Naruto, wait! Say the password," I say.

Naruto recites it perfectly, too, a cheeky grin on his face. I sigh in relief, all team members accounted for. But to my surprise, Sasuke- _kun_ throws his _kunai_ at him. Naruto dodges the attack.

"What was that for?" Naruto whines.

"This time we have someone who can dodge my attack?" Sasuke- _kun_ tenses even more.

"What are you doing, Sasuke- _kun_? Naruto said the password perfectly," I ask.

"That's the problem. Do you think that idiot could remember such a long password? If I asked him, what do you think he would say?"

I gasp. Of course. I can't believe I didn't notice. How stupid of me. "He'd say, 'Sorry, I forgot.'" Mentally I keep berating myself; such a blunder could have cost Sasuke- _kun_ his life. And I call myself his protector.

"And his dodge was different than how the normal Naruto would have moved. Show your real self, faker."

The fake Naruto smiles and licks his lips in a familiar manner. "I see," he chuckles ominously.

The jutsu is released and in his place is the creepy long-tongued ninja. "If you knew he would forget such a long password, why didn't you make it shorter?"

Naruto, that idiot. How many times can that orange idiot be captured? Just my luck, being paired with two guys who are always attracting trouble.

"You think I didn't notice you eavesdropping in the ground?" Damn, I missed that too. Two mistakes one after another. Two stupid, careless mistakes that could have cost Sasuke- _kun_ his life.

"So you don't let your guard down. I guess I can have some fun after all," says Creepy Long-Tongue. He reaches behind him in his pack and withdraws a blue Earth scroll. "You want this right? Because you guys have a Heaven scroll."

He surprises Sasuke- _kun_ and me by swallowing the scroll whole. Just like a snake.

"Let's start the fight for the scrolls, by putting our lives in the line!" and a killer aura reaches across the distance between us and freezes my body. It's the first time I've felt such killing intent. And I'm so unprepared.

I'm inundated in fear. I'm going to fail. I'm going to be punished. I'm going to lose Sasuke- _kun_. I'm going to lose my life! I'm never going to see Sasuke- _kun_ again. Master will be so disappointed in me. She will regret having such a weak girl as her apprentice. I don't do the clan name justice. I'm so weak, I'm so weak, I'm so weak. Why can't I move? It's pointless. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.

And the next thing I know, I see Sasuke- _kun_ in front of me, his face hidden in shadow. He's breathing hard, and his hand gripping a _kunai_ that's...lodged into his thigh. Creepy Long-tongue is nowhere to be seen. What happened?

"Sasuke- _kun_ ," I say. There's a splatter of blood under his leg. Did this happen...because of me? "Are you okay?" His hand is suddenly on my mouth.

If we were in a different situation, this might have sent me into vapors, his skin touching mine. But things are happening so fast, I follow the unspoken command and keep quiet. I've never seen him like this before, even when we were fighting Zabuza.

Suddenly a shadow looms above us. I manage to twist Sasuke- _kun_ 's hand away. "Sasuke- _kun_! Snake!" We both leap away from each other as the snake comes crashing down on us.

The snake goes after Sasuke- _kun_ , but he kills it with three well-aimed _shuriken_. A bulge appears on the snake's neck. "You should never let your guard down," says Creepy Long-Tongue as he sprouts from the snake's neck. "Prey should panic and strain their minds, in the presence of the predator."

Creepy Long-Tongue darts toward Sasuke _-kun_. Just before he reaches his target, he stops as several _shurikan_ and a _kunai_ are thrown at the space in front of him.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I forgot the password." Naruto smirks.

"Naruto, if you've come here to show off by helping us, don't get involved! He's way above our level! Get away!" Sasuke shouts at him.

"Looks like you defeated that snake, Naruto- _kun_ ," Creepy Long-Tongue says. Snake? So I guess Naruto wasn't slacking off after all. And he survived after fighting a giant beast? I have to admit I'm slightly impressed.

"Hey! Looks like you were picking on the weak, huh? Now that I, the great Naruto Uzumaki, am here, I'll beat you to a pulp!" Naruto goes for one of those superhero poses, pointing down at the snake-man. That idiot's going to get us all killed! I take back what I said before, he's clearly more stupid than I thought he was.

This isn't just an exam that we can take lightly and walk off to try again next year. This is a true life-or-death mission, just like our escort mission. This guy, our enemy, he feels more deadly than Zabuza and Haku combined. Should I move now? Save our team from decimation? Sasuke- _kun_ makes the decision for me. He offers the enemy our scroll. I'm surprised, I never expected Sasuke- _kun_ to make a decision like this.

But just as Sasuke- _kun_ tosses the scroll over, Naruto comes down and snatches it from there air. Then he punches Sasuke- _kun_.

"What did you do that for?!" shouts Sasuke- _kun._

"I don't remember the password, but you're a fake Sasuke, aren't you?"

"You idiot! I'm the real one!"

"Liar. The Sasuke I know isn't an idiot or a coward. I don't know how strong he is, but this guy can't guarantee he'll let us go even after we give him the scroll. You're the one who doesn't understand the situation!" says Naruto.

Snake-man chuckles. "That's right!" he says with maniacal glint in his eyes. "I'll just kill all of you anyway." He lifts his left sleeve, revealing a dark tattoo. I realize with horror it's a summoning mark. Naruto moves to stop him but he's too late, the jutsu activates. Rushing wind hits us again and we're thrown back with debris.

"How cute," our enemy smiles down at Naruto from the head of yet another giant snake. The snake strikes the branch Naruto is standing on. Naruto drops down and it looks like he's knocked out.

"Eat him," Snake-man says.

But then, Naruto wakes up. And there's a strange aura about him, an animalistic and ancient aura. He punches the snake, trying to hurt him. Entire trees are uprooted and broken. The snake throws him off, but Naruto keeps coming back for more.

"Why is Naruto so strong?" I ask aloud.

The Snake-man blows a fireball at Naruto, putting him out of the game yet again.

"That's...Naruto?" Sasuke- _kun_ is confused.

"You're next. Sasuke- _kun_ , how will you fight?" and the snake makes way for my beloved.

"Sasuke- _kun_!" Move! I silently beg him, my paralyzed body, _something_...and Naruto comes to the rescue yet again, stopping the snake dead in its tracks with his legs and a single _kunai_.

Naruto says something quietly to Sasuke- _kun_ before the enemy snatches Naruto up and...does something to him. Naruto faints.

"Sasuke- _kun_! Do something! Help Naruto!"

The enemy snatches the scroll from Naruto's pouch, and throws his limp body away. My _kunai_ pins Naruto to the tree. I hope his shirt is sturdy.

"Sasuke- _kun_ , what's wrong? What are you doing?" Sasuke- _kun_ is still frozen in place. Fear? I need to get him to move!

"Naruto's different than you, Sasuke- _kun_! He's dumber and more of a nuisance, but at least he's not a coward! Right?" I shout desperately.

And finally Sasuke- _kun_ moves. The Sharingan returns. He prepares for attack. I knew he would pull through! The Snake-man knows too, because he chuckles and releases the summoning jutsu.

A fierce battle ensures. I've never seen Sasuke- _kun_ fight like that, determiend to win. Their movements were fast and deadly, aiming to kill. Jutsu after jutsu, punch after kick after leap and flip, Sasuke- _kun_ was able to keep up with that snake-man.

Is this the power of the Sharingan? If so, I must watch carefully and be sure to add this to my next training routine: the fast taijutsu, the triple windmill blades, and the Dragon Fire technique (which I subtly copied with my own Sharingan and excellent memory). At present I can only track the snake-man with air disturbances and earth sense. Being able to actually see him wouldn't hurt, either.

I rush over and congratulate him (and check him over for serious injuries) when the Snake-man seemingly comes back to life. I'm unprepared for his attack and I fall to my knees.

"I'm impressed that you can use your Sharingan so well at your age, you live up to the Uchiha name. I want you after all." The voice morphs into a completely different, even more snake-y and masculine. "You two are definitely brothers. Your eyes say you have more potential than Itachi." Itachi? Who is that?

Sasuke- _kun_ seems to know because he looks furious. "Who are you?" he demands.

With a half-melted face, revealing an unnatural pale-face and golden snake-eye, he says ominously, "I'm Orochimaru." Now this twisted piece of garbage has a name. I'll be sure to report this to Master, later. "If you wish to see me again, get through this Exam as if your life depended on it." And he burns the scroll in green fire. "In other words, you have to defeat my subordinates, the three Oto- _nin_."

"We never want to see your face again!"

"Hm hm hm," he chuckles. "It doesn't work that way." And he does this weird thing with his neck and he _bites_ Sasuke- _kun_.

"A farewell present. Sasuke- _kun_ will seek me, he will seek me for power. It was fun being able to see a lot of your moves." Orochimaru melts into the tree.

The sky is pink now, and Sasuke- _kun_ can't move with the pain. I wish I could help, but he passes out.

"Naruto! Sasuke- _kun_! He's...!" But Naruto doesn't respond. Doesn't flinch, doesn't move or groan. And that's when I realize that for the very first time, I am alone. I survived and I am the only one who can protect these two. That means...I can use my real power for a little while, until they wake up.

This is the moment I had been waiting for, but I didn't expect it to happen like this. "What should I do?"

* * *

 **AN: I continued off of the last scene so the time skips aren't too weird. Hope that's okay with everyone. Unless otherwise criticized, I'm going to continue this format so some future chapters might be a bit boring...**  
 **I don't know if it's obvious yet, but I'm going off of the anime, because no matter how much I love scanlations, sometimes they're just done too shabbily. That's where I get a lot of this conversations stuff. And everything else. Eh-hehe.**

 **Apologies Sakura's just absolutely useless here, but I swear it'll get better.**


	5. Chapter 5: Sasuke-kun Wakes Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto characters, whose births are credited to Masashi Kishimoto. And I admit a majority of these "bending" ideas belong to the creators of AtLA.**

* * *

 **A Tree Somewhere in the Forest of Death**

I put my hand on Sasuke's head. It's still burning hot with fever, but at least his breathing has gone back to normal. Naruto is still passed out, too. I settle back on crossed legs and touch the mind-bond.

 _Master, something has happened._

The response is immediate. _What is it?_

 _We're taking the Chuunin Exam, and there are dangerous enemies who shouldn't be genin at all! Sasuke-kun's been seriously injured._

 _How could you let this happen?! You are to be his protector! That is why I chose you!_ I unconsciously lean back from the ferocity of her tone. I block my shame from her, not wanting to let her know how I had been deceived by a simple transformation jutsu.

 _Sasuke-kun was doing fine without my help!_ I say.

 _Yet he is injured? And "severely" injured at that._

 _Something unexpected happened!_ I defend myself. _The enemy bit Sasuke-kun, just when we thought he was dead!_

 _Are you saying he rose from the dead?_

 _No, it was...I don't know what it was! His face, his face was melted and he shouldn't have been able to survive Sasuke-kun's Dragon Flame Technique at such close proximity, but he did!_

 _Dragon Flame Technique?_

 _Yes, Master, I copied it with my Sharingan. I'll be sure to practice it as well._

 _No, I mean, this man survived an Uchiha's Dragon Flame Technique? At close-range you said?_

 _Yes!_

 _Was there a shield? An aura? Interference? Jutsu?_ Master's voice becomes worried.

 _Nothing. The guy's face just looked like it was melting. The face underneath it was..._ I shuddered. Just seeing part of that face was probably even worse than actually seeing his face.

 _What did it look like? Tell me!_ Master's voice gets louder, too. I send her a mental image of that reptilian gaze.

 _Orochimaru!_ Master hisses. _What the hell is he doing there?_

 _You know him, Master?_

 _Every ninja ranked chuunin and above knows of that monster. He's a twisted, dark man who knows no bounds when it comes to getting what he wants when he wants. People who cross him don't usually live to tell the tale, people who interest him are in even more danger; subject to terrible experiments that drive battle-hardened men mad. You stay away from him, and make sure Sasuke stays away from him as well. Nothing Orochimaru does is mere coincidence._ I bite my lip. If Orochimaru is as devious as Master says he is, and he's targeting Sasuke- _kun_...

 _Master, he said that he's after Sasuke-kun._

 _What?! Did he say what for?_

 _No, but that's what's weird. If he was after Sasuke-kun, wouldn't he have tried to kidnap him? Instead, he just bit him and ran!_

Master is silent for a few moments. _Check him_.

 _What?_

 _You said Orochimaru bit him. Check to see if there's a mark._

I bend down and brush Sasuke- _kun_ 's hair aside.

 _There's tomoe. Like a sharingan._

Fury radiates through the bond.

 _Master, what does this mean?_

 _It means, you must watch him very carefully from now on. No more slacking off. I know you train hard, but now you must train harder, and focus on restraining and sealing techniques. Don't leave Sasuke's side for the rest of the exam. In fact, don't ever leave Sasuke alone. I will contact you again soon_.

 _Master! Wait! What is it?_

But there is silence. I admit this frightens me, I've never heard Master this distressed before. She normally takes things in stride and then comes up with countermeasures and a solution. She also usually gives me an explanation to these plans so I can learn from them. This time, she didn't answer any of my questions.

I'm drawn from my thoughts with Sasuke- _kun'_ s wince. I check his head again. Still feverish. I close my eyes and relax my shoulders, not willing to give myself sore muscles in a dangerous situation. I close my eyes briefly, determined to recover my strength so I can attempt to heal my teammates in the morning with waterbending.

To my surprise, I hear the telltale signs of Naruto's wake-up routine: a nice, large yawn. "Ahhh! Man, that was a nice nap!" I open my eyes and I see Naruto's big dumb face looking at me.

"Naruto!"

Then, Sasuke- _kun_ sits up, too, wiping his face with the damp cloth I had just put on his forehead.

"Sasuke- _kun_!"

"Ugh," he groans. "Did you nurse us?" he turns to me.

"Thanks, Sakura- _chan_! I feel so much better now!" Naruto crows happily.

"Thank God!" I say with tears in my eyes. I'm so happy not to be alone! But to my right, I hear bushes rustling. I turn my face to see the melted face of Orochimaru lunging toward us.

"One who is prey needs to always strain his mind and run around in front of a predator!" he hisses. His body morphs into that of a snake, and I turn to warn Naruto and Sasuke- _kun_ , but my voice won't work! The snake rises behind my oblivious teammates, and lunges down towards them when...

My eyes open. It was just a dream, after all. But what could have woken me up? Certainly not the small amount of sunlight creeping through the trees. I must have fallen asleep for a couple hours.

The bushes behind me rustle. Was that what woke me? I grab a _kunai_ from my pouch and turn around to see...a squirrel? I can't believe it.

"Don't scare me like that," I mutter at it. It runs towards me, and I quickly throw my knife to stop it in its tracks. Geez, that was close. I turn back to my sleeping charges. It's day time now, I need to be on my guard, but I'm so tired.

* * *

It's around high noon when our camp has its next visitors.

"Not sleeping and keeping watch for the entire time," a voice laughs darkly. "But there's no need to do so. Can you wake Sasuke- _kun_? We want to fight him."

I twist around and see the three Oto- _nin_ in the clearing of our camp. My hand inches towards a weapon. But wait! This is my chance to get some answers!

"What do you want with us? We know a man named Orochimaru is behind all this." They look shocked I know snake-man's name. So they are working together after all. "What's with that weird bruise on Sasuke- _kun_ 's neck? You really want to fight him after what you did to him?"

"I also wonder what that person was thinking," says the guy with the mask.

"But now that we heard that, we can't ignore it," says the guy with the kanji for "death" written on his shirt. "I'll kill this girl, too. I'll even kill that Sasuke guy." He stands up and leans forward, ready to attack.

"Wait, Zaku," says the masked one again.

"What?" Zaku says, irritated.

"How unoriginal. The color of the dirt indicates it's just been dug up. This grass doesn't grow here. There's no meaning to a trap if it isn't made well," he says, lifting up my trap. You were meant to find it, smug bastard. I was confident enough to be able to defend us from other genin, but I still needed to sell the weakling act to others from the village, and in case Sasuke- _kun_ and Naruto woke up.

"Tch, so she threw that knife so that the squirrel wouldn't get caught in the trap," says Zaku.

"Let's kill her right now," the other guy says.

The three genin leap at me. But I'm prepared. Next to me I cut the threat that releases a tree trunk swinging towards them. The Oto- _nin_ destroy it easily.

"To be blunt, you have to talent at all. People like you need to work harder!" I smile, ready to hit them with an earth wall.

"Konoha Whirlwind!" shouts a spinning green cloth who knocks away my opponents.

Rock Lee lands in front of me, with a squirrel perched on his shoulder. "Then the three of you also need to work harder. I am Konoha's beautiful blue beast, and I will defeat you!"

"What are you doing here?" I ask Rock.

"Whenever you are in danger, I will appear." He sets the squirrel down and shoos him away.

"But right now, I am your enemy, too," I remind him.

"I told you already, that I will protect you to the death." When did he say that? Oh yeah, when we met before the first part of the exam.

"Oh. Thank you."

The masked ninja rushes towards us, and I drive him into the air with a _kunai_ , and Lee blocks his attack by raising a tree root from the ground. Damn, he's strong.

"Your attack has some sort of trick to it, right? I won't dodge in a normal way. I've seen your moves before," says Lee. He unwraps the bandages around his arms, and executes a technique he calls the Secondary Lotus. It's the move Sasuke- _kun_ used when he smashed Orochimaru's head into the ground, but with a spin. Literally.

Lee leaps away from his captive right when his head touches the ground.

"Looks like I made it just in time," says Zaku. His hands are in the ground, and raised earth tunnels lead straight to his teammate's prone body. The enemy removes himself from the hole and shakes his head back and forth.

"It can't be!" cries Lee.

"That is a terrifying move. I landed on this spongy ground, but it still hurt like hell." Damn, maybe I should have made sure to crunch the earth around his shoulders more. That would have immobilized him a bit longer.

The enemy holds his hand out, the one with the strange metal cuff, and dashes towards Lee. Lee is too exhausted to do anything but dodge, but it looks like there's something wrong. Lee falls to his knees. Then he covers his ear. What happened?

"You dodged my fist, but got hit by sound." Vibrations? That means that the eardrum was shattered. And the imbalance of sound ruins the body's sense of equilibrium. "You won't be able to move your body well for a while."

"Your outdated taijutsu won't work on us," says Zaku. "I can control supersonic waves and air pressure. I can even destroy a rock, or send air into the ground to make a cushion. I'm different from your dumb moves." And he shows us his palms to reveal tubes. How sickening, to have literal holes in your hands.

"You're next!" the masked guy rushes me again, but this time I'm prepared.

"Konoha Whirlwind!" Lee attempts to intercept, but the masked guy dodges triumphantly and unleashes the full extent of his technique right up against Lee's ear! And this time, Lee falls for good.

Now's my chance to strike! But I can't move freely. Earlier, I felt vibrations leading to more bushes in the clearing. We have observers. I don't know if they're friendlies or not, so I decide to stick with basic jutsu.

I throw three _shuriken_ at them, which are blasted back at me by air pressure. I dodge and just as I am about to counter, my hair is grabbed from behind. The Ikunoichi/I. I should have been paying attention.

"You're hair is glossier than mine. If you have time for hair care, you have time to train." I train more than you do, bitch. I also happen to be holding back my abilities and keeping my hair long and "glossy" so I can keep up appearances for my mission. I did _not_ spend my entire life preparing for this just so I can be held back by dead body cells and passive observers!

The _kunai_ in my hand frees me with a backwards swipe and pink threads, and I launch my counterattack.

"Kin, kill her!" shouts Zaku. The girl behind me draws three needles from her pouch, and Zaku prepares an air attack. Kin jumps towards me and I easily sidestep, tripping her in the process and as her arm comes up to hit me, I block with one arm and elbow her lower back with the other. Kin's back bends awkwardly and her lungs contract at the unusual angle. She gasps, but my knee comes up from below and knocks out her breath again. Then I push her towards Zaku.

Zaku remains unfazed and steps back, not moving to catch her. What a callous bunch. I rush him from behind and stab him with _kunai_. He was prepared for me so the blade merely scratches him. He spins and aims his hands at me, intending on blasting me with air, but I turn with him and he misses me entirely. That blast of air parts the bushes to reveal the three observers: Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. They're all thrown back by the attack. I shift my weight to my hands and use the momentum to knock Zaku to the ground, carefully making sure my left heel strikes his ear perfectly. I roll into a low crouch, surveying the damage.

Kin is brushing herself off and walking cautiously towards me, a furious scowl on her face and a clenched fist. Zaku groans as he picks himself up. The movement that catches my eye, though, is a clump of fur dashing towards my teammates. Not on my watch! Using the subtlest amount of airbending, I launch myself at the enemy, knocking him off his feet, the momentum rolling us together on the ground. I launch as many punches as I can, attempting to knock him out. His bandaged head jerks left and right. With my finishing blow, he groans and lies still on the ground.

I sit on his thighs, catching my breath. Then I pick myself up and glare at his teammates. "Who's next?" I ask.

"Formation!" a loud shout draws our attention. Ino's team is finally taking action, right when I've already done the hard-lifting.

"Ino!"

"Shika!"

"Chou!"

I watch as Chouji turns himself into a giant ball, and launches himself as a giant spinning ball of destruction towards Zaku. Meanwhile, Shikamaru traps Kin with his Shadow Imitation technique to keep her from helping Zaku.

"Ino!" grits Shikamaru.

"I got it!" she says. She runs over to Kin and pats her down, obviously looking for the scroll. "She doesn't have it!"

"Tch," says Shikamaru.

Just then, the body below me springs into action, knocking me over and making a run for the forest.

"Oh, no you don't!" says Ino, running next to Shikamaru. "Mind Transfer Technique!" and she slumps into his arms while her target freezes in his footsteps. It look really romantic. Shikamaru's no Sasuke- _kun_ , but he's still a good catch (for Ino, obviously). Plus, she already trusts him to guard her body while her mind's away.

"Dosu!" Zaku cries to his teammate, who stands unmoving. "What are you doing?!"

"The scroll," Dosu growls in a low voice, "do you have it?"

"What? You want to do this now?!" Zaku shouts, dodging another one of Chouji's attacks.

"Where's the scroll, you imbecile!" Dosu shouts with a crazed eye at Zaku.

"Who cares about the stupid scroll, you know what we're actually here for!" Zaku shouts furiously. "Stop fooling around and kill Sasuke!"

A _kunai_ appears in Dosu's hand aimed at his neck. "You kill Sasuke- _kun_ and your teammate dies!"

"What?" Zaku's confused face is laughable. "Dosu, what are you doing?"

"You lowly ninja of Otogakure can't even defeat these second-class ninja," an unfamiliar voice says haughtily from the treetops. Damn, I wasn't paying close enough attention to my surroundings. I look up and see the rest of Lee's team.

"Let them go, Tenten and I will deal with them. That bobbed- hair kid is from our team, we'll be sure to pay you back double what you did to him!" It's the first time I've seen the Hyuuga's Byakugan firsthand. I feel naked in front of his eyes, as if he can see right through me.

Suddenly he relaxes his eyes and closes them in satisfaction.

"Neji?"

"Looks like there's no need for me to do anything," he says calmly.

A pillar of chakra rises behind me, but it feels like Sasuke- _kun'_ s. The crashes from Chouji's attack dies away as he returns back to his normal size. He probably realized that wall of chakra could actually hurt if he'd hit it.

"Sasuke- _kun_! You're…awake!" my voice dies when I see how the tomoe from his mark has traveled all over the left side of his body, his Sharingan glaring furiously at everyone.

"Sakura, who did that to you?" I don't deny a shiver of desire spread through me, knowing he was angry for my sake. But at the same time, that type of chakra…just isn't normal.

"Sasuke- _kun_ , your body…" I wonder if he even realizes something's different?

He looks down at his black-marked hand.

"Don't worry. More importantly, I can feel the power surging inside me. I'm feeling really good right now. He gave it to me, I finally understand now. I am an avenger. I must obtain power no matter what, even if I must let the devil take hold of my body." Who is this? What is happening? Sasuke- _kun_ couldn't actually be saying this, could he? He's never mentioned wanting power, or avenging anything. Maybe he's still in a fever?

"Sakura, tell me! Who the the hell hurt you?"

"I did it!" crows Zaku, proudly. Sasuke- _kun_ turns on him like a dog on a hunt.

"Ino! Quick! Return to your body! You might be confused with the enemy!" Shikamaru releases his hold on Kin and grabs Chouji's muffler to drag him behind the bushes again. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ino's body twitch as her mind returns.

Dosu groans and rises to his feet. I see his eye widen when he sees Sasuke- _kun'_ s swirling tower of chakra, which grows larger when Zaku suddenly says, "Dosu! You're back! Don't be afraid, let's finish this half-dead guy!"

"No, Zaku, stop! Don't you understand?" Dosu turns toward his comrade, trying to stop him.

"I'll kill them all, and I'll finish this in a flash! Maximum Air Cutter!" Zaku unleashes the biggest blast of concentrated air current towards my team and me. I tense, ready to take Naruto and Sasuke-Ikun/I and get to safety, but I'm beaten to the punch.

I feel Sasuke- _kun'_ s arm wrap around my waist and I feel him pick up Naruto's limp body, and he carries us behind Zaku's unguarded back. Zaku's teammates are to busy defending against his attack to protect him.

Zaku laughs, "Ha, blasted them to pieces."

"Who?" asks Sasuke- _kun._ And with one arm, Sasuke- _kun_ knocks Zaku back towards Dosu. As Zaku picks himself up, Sasuke- _kun_ unleashes his Phoenix Fire technique. Zaku seems to be an idiot, not knowing when to dodge or when to stand and defend. He blows away the fireballs to reveal the _shuriken_ hidden inside. And as the fool covers his face, Sasuke- _kun_ appears behind him and takes a rough hold of his wrists and a firm foot placed on his back.

With an ominous smile, Sasuke-Ikun/I says, "You seem to be proud of your arms," and steps deeper on the Zaku's back while angling his arms higher. For a moment, I think back to Orochimaru's words. Sasuke- _kun_ …couldn't possibly…but is he really going to…?

Suddenly, across the clearing, I hear the sickening crack of arms breaking. A loud scream echoes around us. My eyes widen in disbelief; I can't believe this is happening. Sasuke- _kun_ causes two more loud cracks to resonate through the clearing before he lets go of Zaku.

I'm frozen. Something is horribly, horribly wrong.

Sasuke- _kun_ turns toward Kin and Dosu. "I hope you'll entertain me better than he did," he grins. I never thought Sasuke- _kun_ could look evil, but in this moment, if I didn't know better, I would have thought that he was born with that devilish smile on his face.

I have to stop him before my Sasuke- _kun_ , the _real_ Sasuke- _kun_ disappears from my sight. I run towards him as he steps toward the rest of the Oto- _nin_. "Please…stop." And miraculously, the dark marks on Sasuke- _kun_ disappear and he falls down, panting.

"You're strong. We cannot defeat you. Let's make a deal," Dosu says, placing his scroll down slowly. It is marked with the kanji for "Earth". "Please, let us leave."

"Dosu!" says Kin, in protest.

"Be quiet Kin! Let me handle this!" Dosu says sharply.

"Tch!" Kin grudgingly picks up Zaku's unconscious body.

"We might be asking for too much, but we have something to confirm," Dosu continues. "In exchange, if we are to fight each other for a second time in this exam, we will not run or hide." He turns away and just before he and his teammates leap off into the forest, I stop them. I have to know.

"Who is Orochimaru? What did he do to Sasuke- _kun_? Why Sasuke- _kun_?"

Dosu and Kin share a look. Dosu responds, "I don't know. We were just ordered to kill him." Then they disappear.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Shikamaru calls out to us. They run out of the bushes to look over us while Lee's team play look-out.

Sasuke- _kun_ is still in shock. He stares at his left arm, which has started twitching. It looks like muscle spasms to me, from overuse in an exhausted state. I give him a once-over, checking for any other abnormal side-effects, but physically there is nothing to see.

"Everyone, hide! No, get down!" an annoying voice breaks the post-battle silence. We all look towards a certain blond-headed orange-covered idiot crawling on his belly towards us, a sizable lump on his head. He looks around frantically, until Chouji pokes his head with a rather large club.

"You're pretty dumb, aren't you?" asks Shikamaru, with his ever-tilted head. "Watching you actually pisses me off." Chouji nods his agreement.

And just when I think Naruto's felt the atmosphere, he runs over shouting, "Sakura- _chan_! What…What happened to your hair?"

"Oh, this? Just changing my image. An image change," I smile. "I like long hair, but it gets in the way when I move around in a forest like this."

Naruto looks down, whining slightly. "By the way, why are you guys here?" he asks Shikamaru.

He sighs dramatically. "Explaining it to you is too troublesome for me."

"Everyone helped us," I say gently.

Then he spots Lee- _san_ , who has apparently come to, speaking with Tenten. He runs over obnoxiously, "Aha! You're the fuzzy-brows guy!"

This idiot…"Naruto! Don't talk like that to Lee- _san_!" I catch him off-guard with a wrathful right hook in the face. I turn towards Lee- _san_ , "Lee- _san_ , thank you. For all that you've done. Thanks to you, my eyes are wide open now. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't come."

He tears up and says, "It looks like I need more training." You're not the only one, I need to up my game, too. "Sasuke- _kun_ , you live up to reputation of an Uchiha. You drove Oto- _nin_ away. You truly possess great potential and power, while I lost horribly. Sakura-s _an_ , the lotus in Konoha blooms twice. The next time we meet, I promise that I will be a stronger man." He gives me his signature self-confident smile.

Then Ino calls over, "Sakura! I'll fix up your hair!" Ah, she wants one of our "girl talks."

"I'd appreciate it, thanks!" I say.

And as she shears the back of my head evenly, she hisses at me, "You cheater! You hugged him back there, forehead girl!"

"In public, the person who takes initiative wins, Ino-pig," I retort smugly.

I close my eyes, relaxing into the comfortable rhythm of _kunai_ tugging through hair. I allow my surroundings to drop away as I touch the mind-bond. I poke and prod, and concentrate as hard as I can, but no response.

"Hey, forehead girl, you okay? Sakura!" Ino's shaking arm rouses me and I blink at her.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

Ino frowns. "I've been trying to get your attention. I've finished your hair. I don't have mirror on me, but this should do the trick."

I pat my hair and shake my head a little. It feels weird. The weight that used to hold my head down is gone, and my short pink strands swish around like beaded curtains before my eyes. Ino hands me my forehead protector. When I tie it in place, it itches the back of my cold neck even more now that hair has joined it there.

"How does it feel?" Ino asks.

"Like my head's become a cloud," I answer honestly.

"Well…don't forget, we're still rivals!" Ino says with a reddened face.

I laugh. "Don't worry, I won't forget. Thanks for this, Ino."

"Ino! Come on, let's go. Things are going to get troublesome," calls Shikamaru. Chouji's standing next to him, watching us. Sasuke- _kun_ is packing up our camp and Naruto is still lying down on the ground after my punch. Lee and his team look like they've already moved on.

"Alright, alright!" Ino says to me. "Well, I'd better get going." She hesitates a bit, then says so quiet I barely hear her "You've changed, Sakura."

"Hm?"

"You've changed!" Ino says a little louder. "I'll show you, I've changed too. I'll see you in the next phase." My childhood friend catches up to her teammates and they disappear into the trees as well.

Sasuke- _kun_ 's finished packing. "Ready to move on?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, _dobe_!" Sasuke- _kun_ nudges Naruto roughly with his foot. "Let's go, we should move before more enemies find us."

Naruto finally picks himself up. "Yeah, I was waiting for you!" He says, stubborn as ever.

"Sure," Sasuke- _kun_ responds sarcastically. Naruto scowls and starts throwing insults at him.

I smile and commit this moment to memory. Team 7 is back on their feet and ready for action.

* * *

 **AN: I hope you don't mind, I'm going to leave out Naruto's signature "-ttebayo" in his speech, and I'm going to use the English translation of the ninjutsus. I realize there are different ways to translate the jutsus, but I don't want to mess up on the Romaji. However, I am determined to use the Romaji for the village names!**

 **The thing about Sakura's fight sequence in this: Sorry if it's a little unclear, I've never had to write a fight sequence before. Originally I was going to have her restrain herself and just follow what she did in the anime (which is still a pretty bad-ass fight sequence and definitely one of my favorites because of its simple ingenuity), but I thought that would make for an even more boring story. I'm trying to write fanfiction for Pete's sake (keyword: "trying"), I don't need to follow the original to a T, because this is supposed to be an interesting story goshdarnit!**

 **Plus, five chapters into the story, I figure I should let this version of Sakura show off her fighting skills a little after talking such big game. After all, she should be able to do more than report stuff to her Master and steal kekkai genkai.**


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